A car accident can be a shocking or even frightening experience. And while you may be rattled after it occurs, you will need to think clearly and act cautiously in order to protect your health, your vehicle, and any loved ones involved in the event.

To prepare yourself for a possible accident, take note of the important steps to follow immediately afterward.

Check in

Assess your personal condition, and verbally check on the well-being of your passengers. Are any of you injured or in pain? If so, call 911 and request an ambulance. Do not force yourself to move if you’re hurt, and do not move anyone else. Instead, wait for emergency personnel to arrive, and follow their instructions.

If you are in a condition to move and your vehicle is still operable, pull into a wide, empty area such as a parking lot or public driveway—or, at the very least, to the side of a road. However, try not to travel too far from the site where the accident occurred. Turn off your vehicle, then turn on your hazard lights.

Conversely, if your vehicle is no longer drivable, you should exit as long as you aren’t in a busy area like a highway. Proceed to a safe position, such as a sidewalk, but do not cross any traffic to do so. If you are safely able, use cones, warning triangles, or flares to alert other drivers to avoid your car.

Once you and your car are secure, look for any other individuals who were involved in your accident, including pedestrians, cyclists, and passengers of other vehicles. Keep your phone on hand so you can call an ambulance for anyone who needs assistance.

Review your vehicle

Once everyone involved in the accident is either deemed safe or receiving medical attention, start inspecting your vehicle for signs of damage. Do not touch or manipulate any broken or damaged components—glass, steel, and other body sections may be sharp to the touch, while engine parts may be very hot. Communicate with any other drivers about damage to their vehicles as well.

Contact the police

Call officers to the scene if they have not arrived, and allow them to survey the area. Their findings will likely go into an accident report, which will document details about the incident, evidence determining who was at fault, and statements from drivers, passengers, and witnesses. Acquiring a copy of this report may be an essential step of filing a claim with your insurer.

Exchange information

You should now share pertinent information with the other drivers or pedestrians involved in your accident. According to the Insurance Information Institute, you should obtain all of the following from each individual:

• First and last name
• Phone number
• Driver’s license number
• Name and policy number of their auto insurer
• Make, model, color, and license plate number of each vehicle
• Where the accident occurred (with street names and other details, such as nearby businesses, if possible)

Additionally, you should request the names and badge numbers of all officers on the scene. While people should willingly hand over their information, the police can intervene if anyone refuses to participate.

You should also take down the names and contact information of any witnesses who will agree to submit comments. They can be particularly useful to the claims process if there is a dispute over who caused the accident.

Document the incident

Take photographs of the event. This documentation will serve as evidence for your insurer during the claims process. Photograph each vehicle involved (including their license plate numbers), any resulting damage to your vehicle, and the site where the accident occurred if it’s visible from your location.

Leave the scene safely

Check in with a police officer before you depart. Once they have documented sufficient information about you, your vehicle, and the accident, they will inform you that you’re free to go. If your car is damaged and needs to be towed, call your auto insurance company. They can send a tow truck to transport your vehicle to a certified body shop: one that has been vetted by your insurer.

Contact insurers

You will typically have up to thirty days to report a car accident and file a claim, a process that may involve several steps and take multiple days to complete, so make it a priority to initiate filing. The insurer will assign you an adjuster, or claims representative, who will walk you through all essential phases and ensure you submit sufficient information about the accident.

If you feel that another individual was responsible for your accident, let your insurer know. They may recommend that you file a third-party claim, or a claim with the other driver’s liability insurance. (Refer to the contact information you documented at the scene of the accident.)

Once you file, the insurer will process your claim and, hopefully, compensate you for any damages, including repairs and medical attention needed after the incident. If your vehicle was totaled, you may receive payment for your vehicle’s actual cash value: its original purchase price minus depreciation.

While even the safest, most defensive drivers cannot eliminate the possibility of an accident, knowing how to act afterward can protect you and your passengers—and make the resulting claims process much easier.